Are you looking for ways to revamp your business? If you want to change things around and make improvements in your store, make sure you consider your lighting.

Retail lighting is not to be overlooked when considering how to decorate your bridal store. How a shop is styled and, subsequently, illuminated affects our buying habits and want to enter the store. Today, in the age of online shopping, providing a unique customer experience in-store is vital. Projected Image, the UK and Europe’s leading gobo manufacturers, are sharing their tips and tricks to lighting your bridal shop.

1. Lighting Plan

Before considering lighting for your bridal store or, in fact, any decoration - you need to plan. Take into account what you are attempting to do with your store decor. Are you looking to highlight individual collections, or even areas of the store? Do the lighting and decor fit your chosen customers and ideas? You should always have a clear image in mind of your shop, before settling on any decorations or lighting.

Projected Image Marketing Manager, Ian Spoors, suggests taking the advice of a lighting expert before putting any plans in place. “A lighting expert can help identify the lighting possibilities by looking at the space and venue, and whether your lighting will be affected by natural light. They can suggest which areas to illuminate, and help best project the representation and image of your brand you had in mind.”

2. Space

The size of your store should always be taken into consideration when it comes to retail lighting. The right lighting encourages us to enter the store and, subsequently, browse the dresses. The opposite is also true for the wrong lighting. For example, projecting bright, colourful lights in a space not suited for such luminosity could have a negative impact on your sales.

However, if you are looking to project the illusion of more space, the right lighting can make any store appear larger. Incorporating natural light with brilliant, crisp, white lighting is best for creating the image of a larger venue. Warm hues, such as red and purple, make even the biggest of spaces welcoming and cosy. It all comes back to what image you would like to portray of your brand.

3. Colour

Injecting a pop of colour into your store can encourage customers to shop, while projecting a fun, friendly and welcoming venue. Shopping for bridal dresses is one of the most significant events for all Brides, and you can afford to have a bit of fun. As long as you reflect your brand image values, there’s no reason not to add colour.

Ian believes using colour to highlight specific products is a fantastic strategy: “We regularly use colour lighting to illuminate certain products, as it instantly draws the eye. Whether you have a new collection in store you would like to promote, or even hosting a special bridal event - colour lighting gives your store that edge.”

4. Store Image

Temperate is a huge factor in lighting up your store. If you are a sleek, sophisticated and edgy bridal store; light blue and white lighting reflects this idea. Warmer tones are better used for smaller, cosier stores. One of Ian’s most significant tips is to opt for the ‘mood’ of the venue before anything else. “The tip for temperature is to choose lighting that encourages customers to shop, and actively spend several hours in your bridal store. Once you have the vision of your store in mind, you can look into the various types of lighting, effects, fixtures and colour.”

5. Lighting Effects

Lighting effects are the most exciting aspect of your decorating your store. There are thousands of options for special lighting effects available, all designed to add drama and excitement to your venue. Gobo lights are enjoying huge popularity, in both the retail and wedding industry. Gobo lights project particular patterns, shapes and text on your chosen surface. While you can choose from already existing gobos, you can also opt to project the name of your bridal store with a custom gobo. Logo projection is predicted to be a huge trend for 2018, and can be done easily and, most importantly, within budget. You could go as simple as to project your logo onto the street outside your store, attracting the attention of passers-by. However, take into consideration natural light when using a gobo.

Ian says: “Gobo lights are fantastic for promotion, but are best projected in shaded areas for the crispest, cleanest image.”

6. Uplighting

Uplighting, or ground-based lighting, is worth your time and consideration, regularly used at events and product launches. If you are placing pop-up banners outside your bridal store (perhaps, to advertise that new bridal collection), uplighting can be used to illuminate them. This type of lighting works well indoors and outdoors and is relatively cost-effective. You can also get battery-powered uplighting for your bridal store, which arrive without wires, so you don’t have to worry about any accidents.

Looking for more ways to revamp your business? Check out our seven top tips for an amazing window display.